So he’s likely not a white supremacist, just a flaming narcissist?
Nah. I’m still going with “Trump is a white supremacist. AND a flaming narcissist.” I’ve seen plenty of evidence of both.
Trump never seems to be worried about offending anyone except Vladimir Putin and white supremacists.
What does that say about him? How can you take comfort among and make common cause with white supremacists and not assimilate to their sensibilities?
I say that it can’t be done. If you are not completely opposed to white supremacy, you are quietly supporting it. If you continue to draw equivalencies between white supremacists and the people who oppose them — as Trump did once again last week — you have crossed the racial Rubicon and moved beyond quiet support to vocal support. You have made an allegiance and dug a trench in the war of racial hostilities.
Either Trump is himself a white supremacist or he is a fan and defender of white supremacists, and I quite honestly am unable to separate the two designations.
I think your idea has some merit, in that he’s displaying many traits of a full blown sociopath.
But I also think his pathology is inextricably intertwined with racism, misogyny and bigotry, and he just doesn’t know it. Systemic racism needn’t be a conscious act to be a large factor in his repugnant behavior.
My mom once told me that many bigots don’t even realize that they are bigots simply because they don’t go to extremes like burning crosses or lynching folks.
When she told me this she was speaking in the context of my uncles who are indeed subconsciously bigoted against people of color, including myself and my siblings (we’re all biracial Black people.)
I’m not saying he’s not, I just think the narcissism and sociopathy is so pronounced that any other characteristic is actually unmeasurable. It’s there, but it’s just noise. (White noise, perhaps).
That’s true about his narcissism, but he’s also a product of his father’s active racism and the casual and institutional racism of the times he grew up in. Both of those things dovetail with his lack of sophistication.
“want everything done for them,” says the man who practically-literally has EVERYTHING done for him. Ugh.
I vacationed in P.R. with my daughter last year. It’s a beautiful, if poor, place, with wonderful people. I was already looking for ways to give to these folks before Irma hit them. If you’re able, please give something to a good aid agency, as poster KathyPadilla recommends above, especially if you’re a fellow American.
All of Trump’s words and actions are consistent with those of a white supremacist. White supremacists don’t automatically resent all non-white people, they resent it when non-white people demand the same rights and privileges as everyone else.
This is perfectly in line with how Trump treats Carson. When Carson had the audacity to position himself as Trump’s equal on the campaign trail Trump likened him to a paedophile. Now that Carson is properly cowed Trump is happy to delegate a token position of authority, just as long as Carson continues to demonstrate the appropriate level of gratitude to his new master. It’s also no coincidence that Carson was placed in charge of the department with “urban” in the name despite a complete lack of relevant experience.
